Placing Value in Yourself

"Tell me how a person judges his or her self-esteem and I will tell you how that person operates at work, in love, in sex, in parenting, in every important aspect of existence - and how high he or she is likely to rise. The reputation you have with yourself - your self-esteem - is the single most important factor for a fulfilling life." ~Nathaniel Branden

"Wouldn't it be powerful if you fell in love with yourself so deeply that you would do just about anything if you knew it would make you happy? This is precisely how much life loves you and wants you to nurture yourself. The deeper you love yourself, the more the universe will affirm your worth. Then you can enjoy a lifelong love affair that brings you the richest fulfillment from inside out." ~Alan Cohen

I really love these quotes as they speak to the heart of some of the issues that internet marketers and people who work from home face. Actually, I find that most people face the problem of holding oneself back in lieu of taking care of everyone around them.

We are not often taught not to place our needs above others, and while this is true to some extent, you will never live the life you were meant to live if you don't.

When working from home, or working online, its incredibly important that you value and respect yourself and your time. If you don't do this you cannot expect anyone to value or respect your time either.

When I first started working from home, I continually found myself being pulled away from my work because of the needs of my family, neighbors, friends, etc. The reason for this is because when you work at home, for some reason people think you have all the time in the world. I was constantly being asked for rides, expected to do all the laundry every day, etc. and none of my work was getting done.

Its not until YOU learn to value your needs above the needs of others and tell the people around you to not bother you when you are working. You have office hours like everyone else and your time is your own. Your children can learn to pour the milk themselves, your spouse can help you with the laundry and your friend can find a ride with someone else. DON'T LET OTHERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR FLEXIBILITY!

However, this doesn't give us the license to be selfish jerks either. Its incredibly important to keep that work-life balance in all aspects of our lives.